Learning a new language can be tough—especially after you hit your 20s. But once you do, you will soon find that the benefits and value added to your life are immeasurable. It can lead to more job opportunities, increase your understanding of different cultures, enhance your cognitive skills, change the way you perceive the world, and revolutionize the way you travel. Deciding to learn a language is the easy part. Actually getting started is the hardest part.

Because I am multilingual, many of my friends, colleagues, and family members have asked me for tips to learn a new language. While it is possible to debate the most effective tactics, methods, books, programs, apps, classes, podcasts, and websites forever, for the purposes of this article, I will only discuss the absolute most fundamental aspect of all of these categories: your mindset.

Without the right mindset, your approach to learning a new language makes no difference. Here are some tips to break the negative attitude barrier when learning a new language:

1. Believe in yourself.

Thinking positive thoughts can make all the difference. Many people self-deprecate or reinforce negative beliefs. Never tell yourself (or anyone else, for that matter) that you can't learn a language or that you are not good at learning languages. A negative mindset will only hurt your progress.

2. Be patient, and stick with it.

It may seem cliché, but Rome was not built in a day. Don't rush the process. It is a marathon, not a race. Don't give up!

3. Forgive yourself.

Making mistakes is inevitable when learning a new language, so you just have to forgive yourself and move on. Amazingly, the vast majority of people do not mind if you are making mistakes, and are very happy and flattered that you even bothered to learn their native language at all.

You will not know every word in your new language, just as you do not know every word in your native language. Don't be so hard on yourself!

4. Be persistent.

Like many people, you may have taken a language course (or several) in school many years ago, and did not learn the language enough to effectively communicate. Perhaps, so much time has passed and you simply just do not remember anything. That is OK. Just because you couldn't do it then, doesn't mean you won't be able to succeed now.

5. Practice, practice, practice.

Practice makes perfect, and with languages, repetition is key. The more you practice your new language, you will become more confident with time. Practice every chance you get with whomever you can!

6. Be open-minded.

There is no one single way to approach learning a language, and people learn in so many different ways. Keep your options open. Simply because one approach works for someone else, does not mean it will work for you. Adapting to your own learning style is key.

More importantly, language and culture go hand-in-hand. You cannot communicate effectively without learning and understanding both.

7. Be consistent.

Don't just start learning once this week and once again next month. That is ineffective and unproductive. Language learning builds upon itself.

Making excuses about why you do not have time is counterproductive to your overall goal and hinders your achievement. You make time for the things you care about. Try setting a schedule, sticking to it, and tracking your progress. Self-discipline is important.

There is literally no downside to learning a new language, so what are you waiting for?